Grand Holy Order of the Temple of Cato

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This Arcticle is on the Jingdaoese military organisation. For the continuation of the ancient Order, see:Holy Order of the Temple of Cato

Grand Holy Order of the Temple of Cato
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Coat of arms
Country Jingdao
Founded 1586 AN
Headquarters Citadel, Zhaoqin
Leadership
Grand Master Siwu Ersan
Manpower
Available for military service 5,000
Active personnel 100

The Grand Holy Order of the Temple of Cato is a militaristic and monastic order founded to preserve and protect the Catologian Faith. The Order was founded over 200 years ago in lands of Aragon, in the Empire of Jingdao and Southbatavia. It moved to Zhaoqin when the Great Jing Dynasty established control over the Apollonian mainland. In 1666 an offshoot of the order founded the Abbey of Sinon in Leylstadt, the first time the order ventured outside the borders of the Jingdaoese Empire.

History

The Order was founded by Jack Mounford (or Montfort), former Prince of Calbion and Grand Master of the order. After the schism caused by the Calbain independence war, the Order has seized to be a prominent factor in Jingdaoese society. Montfort later moved to the isle of Ynys Corrach, where the Order surfaced for a brief period but then withered away following the Storm of Swords.

Shortly after his arrival on the island, de Montfort died, bestowing the title of Grand Master on his cousin, Michail de Montfort. The Montfort family has kept the office since then.

It was only a few years ago that Josephat de Montfort, heir to the family, received a vision from the Goddess Germania, in which she let him know that the way the Order had gone was not according to the will of the Gods. The Heavenly Light needed to be served once again. Josephat saw this as a sign and restored the Order, this time once again in Jingdao.

In the years after the death of the last Montfort Grandmaster, the order became more isolated. Knighthood was seen as somewhat of an anachronism in Jingdaoese society at the time, and without clear figurehead, the order could no longer gain recruits interested in swinging swords. The Citadel remained in existence but no longer had active knights remaining. During the reign of the Mingshi Emperor, some of the audiutors of the order joined the emperor in his self-imposed exile to Nandao. During the reign of the Chidao Emperor the order the was revived under the guidance of Grandmaster Siwu Ersan, who previously acted as special Jingdaoese envoy to Shireroth. Grandmaster Siwu Ersan was appointed by direct order of the Heavenly Light, bringing an end to the tradition that the order was tied to the Montfort family. Siwu Ersan ordered the construction of several libraries, teaching halls and tea houses in the Citadel, in line with the architecture of the Imperial Palace of Daocheng. In the vision of Grandmaster Ersan, the Citadel had no real remaining military value. Instead he wished to refurbish the order as a retreat for bureaucrats who needed to develop their spiritual life in accordance with the Tianchaodao. The order did not do away with its military heritage and would still retain a small force to defend its premises. In total 5,000 men are still required to take up the arms should the Grandmaster order them to. Few expected this to happen unless a major war arrived, and the military aspect of the order was most often seen as a relic from the past.

Former Structure

The Order was divided into two classes: Audiutor and Knight. The Audiutor were the serving class, they were often taken from among the lower clergy. Audiutor could function in many different roles, such as teachers, priests or farmers.

Grand Masters

No. Jingdaoese name South-Batavian name Reign (AN) Note
1 Jieke Qiangweicheng Jack de Montfort 1593 - 1600
2 Michail Qiangweicheng Michail de Montfort 1600 - 1601
3 Baolian Qiangweicheng Balian de Montfort 1601- 1605
4 Jieke-liang Qiangweicheng Jack II de Montfort 1605- 1606
5 Yalishanda Qiangweicheng Alejandro de Montfort 1606- 1606
6 Yalishanda-liang Qiangweicheng Alejandro II de Montfort 1606 - 1608
7 Baolian-liang Qiangweicheng Balian II de Montfort 1608 - 1609
8 Baolian-san Qiangweicheng Balian III de Montfort 1609 - 1610
9 Jieke-san Qiangweicheng Jack III de Montfort 1610 - 1612
10 Makeximilian Qiangweicheng Maximilian de Montfort 1612 - 1613
11 Baolian-si Qiangweicheng Balian IV de Montfort 1613 - 1614
12 Yuehan Qiangweicheng Jehan de Montfort 1614 - 1614
13 Jieke-si Qiangweicheng Jack IV de Montfort 1614 - 1615
14 Jieke-wu Qiangweicheng Jack V de Montfort 1615 - 1616
15 Jieke-liu Qiangweicheng Jack VI de Montfort 1616 - 1617
16 Sidifen Qiangweicheng Stephan de Montfort 1617 - 1617
17 Sidifen-liang Qiangweicheng Stephan II de Montfort 1617 - 1618
18 Balian-wu Qiangweicheng Balian V de Montfort 1618 - 1619
19 Jieke-qi Qiangweicheng Jack VII de Montfort 1619 - 1622
Position vacant 1622 - 1666
20 Siwu Ersan 1666 - present Appointed by the Chidao Emperor